A 42-year-old man currently serving a prison term for the second degree murder of a B.C. woman has escaped. Police say the man was on a temporary absence pass from the Drumheller Correctional Institution and gained control of the vehicle he was riding in. Police say William Wade Bicknell held a Correctional Services employee hostage as they made their way to Edmonton on Thursday.
Police say Bicknell managed to obtain several firearms and a quantity of ammunition while the two continued to travel. The pair headed to a rural residence in the Chipman area, northeast of Edmonton, where the prisoner forced his way into the residence and demanded keys to a vehicle from the homeowner. Police believe Bicknell knows the homeowner.
"Prior to leaving the residence, Bicknell disabled the vehicle and disabled the telephone from the residence," said Sgt. Tim Taniguchi with the RCMP.
Investigators say Bicknell instructed the two individuals not to call police.
He fled the residence in a 2009 Grey Chevrolet Impala Alberta Licence CXE - 602. The two individuals were not harmed in the incident. They later contacted police.
Police say Bicknell's whereabouts is unknown at this time. They consider him to be armed and dangerous.
Bicknell was convicted of murdering B.C. resident Angela Steer in 2003. The mother of two was beaten to death with a bat in 2001.
The union representing guards is asking for a review of the man's placement. Bicknell was staying in the prison's minimum security area, and his escort would have been unarmed.
"It's an escort in civilian clothing, taking the inmate. He's dressed in civilian clothing. There's no handcuffs, there's no restraints," said Kevin Grabowsky, regional president for the union of Canadian Correctional Officers.
Prison officials say temporary passes are given on a case-by-case basis.
"Depending on the review of certain factors, risk being one of them, they make the determination at that time," said Correctional Service of Canada spokesperson Dawn Bancroft.
The union representative told CTV News the inmate actually pulled a knife on the guard when he overpowered him.
Residents in Chipman say they won't rest easy until they hear Bicknell is back behind bars.
"It's a scary thing, like I'm kind of a little worried like even coming out now," said Danny Lesoway.
At the time of his conviction, Bicknell had a wife and son living in Peace River. It is not known if he is headed in that direction.
He is described as:
- 6'6" tall and weighs 402 pounds.
- He has brown hair and hazel eyes with a fair complexion.
- He has a number of tattoos on both arms including, a unicorn on his left shoulder, a cobra on his left arm, and a heart on his chest.
Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Bicknell is asked to contact the Fort Saskatchewan RCMP at 780-992-6100 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
With files from Bill Fortier
